In the FCS Huddle: CAA spring football notebook

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - No longer holding the reputation as the
biggest, baddest conference on the FCS block, CAA Football hopes to return to
an elite level in 2013.

CAA coaches expect the conference to be stronger, and the conference will challenge again to have the most FCS playoff teams. The question is, will a great team emerge from a group of really good programs (Villanova, Towson, James Madison, New Hampshire, Richmond, Delaware, Maine, Stony Brook).

Villanova and Towson are the leading candidates.

STORY LINES

Albany and Stony Brook come aboard as Old Dominion and Georgia State depart,
keeping the conference at 11 teams. In joining from smaller conferences, the
two newcomers will find it hard to overcome a steady diet of CAA opponents.

It's the year of the running game across the CAA. The top nine rushers, which
includes quarterbacks John Robertson of Villanova and Justin Thorpe of James
Madison, return. Plus, Stony Brook's bulldozer Marcus Coker arrives with an
excellent offensive line.

The early season schedule sets up for a good start to the Dave Brock coaching
era at Delaware. Blue Hens fans won't be impressed, though, unless the team
gets back to the FCS playoffs after missing in its final two seasons under
K.C. Keeler.

Rhode Island, the only winless team in the FCS last season, and dead last in
scoring offense, figures it will only have a healthier year. The Rams get back
linebackers Doug Johnson and Dave Zocco, their leading tacklers in 2011, and
hope top receiver Robbie Jackson is fully healthy after a foot injury
basically cost him five games.

A perfect 10? New Hampshire has made nine straight trips to the playoffs - the
nation's longest current run.

OH, YES, HIM AGAIN

The four running backs who earned All-CAA first- or second-team honors return,
and none is named Andrew Pierce. He had a subpar, injury-plagued junior
season, but expects to build on his 3,637 career rushing yards.

James Madison linebacker Stephon Robertson, the 2012 CAA defensive player of
the year, is back to basically cover his half of the field.

Preseason Top 10 candidates Villanova and Towson both return their entire
starting offensive line. Towson boasts tackles Eric Pike and Randall Harris,
while Villanova even adds in All-CAA center Dan Shirey, who missed last season
with an Achilles injury.

BREAKOUT PERFORMER

New Hampshire already had a terrific group of returning safeties (Manny Assam,
Chris Beranger, Hayden Knudson), but Casey DeAndrade, coming off a redshirt
season, is an explosive player who's ready to make his mark.

Villanova's Jamal Abdur-Rahman showed game-changing speed in 2011 only to sit
out last season with a team suspension. He's needed more at wide receiver,
but also plays running back (7.7-yard average on 38 carries in '11).

We mentioned Thorpe earlier, but dual-threat sophomore Michael Birdsong is
generally considered the frontrunner to be the starting quarterback at James
Madison.

POSITION BATTLES

Richmond QB - "The Mike & Mike Show" has only one leading role. Either
incumbent quarterback Michael Strauss or Virginia transfer Michael Rocco will
be given the keys to a veteran offense.

William & Mary QB - Senior Brent Caprio and Michael Graham and junior Raphael
Ortiz have battled injuries and ineffectiveness in a position that has set the
Tribe back the last two seasons. Caprio won't be available in the spring after
having shoulder surgery. Whoever wins the starting job needs to have increased
consistency.

Leading rusher Rickey Stevens returns at Maine, but he has plenty of company
with the likes of Nigel Jones, David Hood and others.